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Dr. Wornie Reed, the director of the Virginia Tech Center for Race and Social Policy Center, will be the guest speaker at the 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on Jan. 21.

Friday, January 4, 2013

By STACEY HAIRSTON - Staff Writer

The keynote speaker for the 11th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in Franklin County will be Dr. Wornie Reed, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Race and Social Policy Center.

The breakfast is set for Monday, Jan. 21 from 8-10 a.m. at the Pigg River Community Center in Rocky Mount.

Reed, who is currently a professor of sociology and Africana Studies, received a bachelor's degree in secondary education (science and mathematics) at Alabama State University and master's and doctoral degrees in sociology from Boston University.

He was also professor of Africana Studies and sociology and director of the Africana Studies Program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Reed has held professorships and directed research centers at Washington University, Morgan State University, University of Massachusetts at Boston and Cleveland State University.

Before his academic career, Reed worked in the computer field as a computer programmer for the U.S. Bureau of the Census, as a systems engineer with IBM and as a marketing representative.

His honors and awards include two Regional Emmys in 2000 and 2003 for his work with Public Health Television, Inc. on the Urban Cancer Project, which produced television shows on cancer prevention aimed at African Americans.

He is married to the former Mildred Norman and they have two grown sons, Daryl and Kyle.

Reed knew Dr. Martin Luther King and will share some personal remembrances in his talk.

The Pigg River Community Center is located at 2410 South Main St. Tickets are $12 per person and can be obtained by calling 540-483-9635, 540-483-7151 or 540-483-8862. Tickets are on sale now and will not be sold at the door.